1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connection assembly of an electronics box, the box having coaxial connectors.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
In applications such as satellite data reception systems, parabolic antennas capture and concentrate signals which are distributed to a plurality of receivers, for example to different apartments in a building. The signals received by the antenna are typically processed by an electronics module that separates the incoming signal into a plurality of signals. The separate signals may be carried by individual coaxial conductors, either for carrying a plurality of different signals, or for branching the signals to further electronic processing stations that distribute the signals to the various receivers. The electronics module thus requires a plurality of coaxial connections that interconnect the electronic circuitry therein to coaxial supply leads. Such an electronics box typically has an outer housing with a conductive shielding material, the housing may in fact be fully conductive such as die cast metal. It is known to provide a coaxial connector projecting from an edge of the housing, where the housing has a cylindrical projection extending therefrom that forms the outer conductor of the coaxial connector. A cylindrical dielectric part is placed within the tubular outer protrusion, and holds an inner conductor. The outer conductor is interconnected to ground circuit traces of the electronics modules which typically comprise printed circuit boards (PCBs) with components thereon. The coaxial connection typically has to be connected to the PCB.
For many applications, it is important to produce a very cost-effective electronics module. A major cost of many electronics components is due to assembly of the components, in particular if manual operations are required, for example fitting together of the parts or soldering contacts or components. It is nevertheless necessary to achieve a reliable electronics box that has effective shielding against electro-magnetic or electro-static noise reception or emission. It is also important to ensure that a reliable electrical connection can be made to the electronics box. It would be desirable to simplify assembly operations, and in particular automate assembly operations as far as possible.